Fomer Students Success Stories

Here at Okaloosa Head Start we so proud of ALL our children and delight in doing our best to help them become respectable men and women. We wanted to dedicate a page to telling the brief stories of those students who have grown up into mature young adults and have had success in their early educational and extracurricular careers. Take a look at how our Fort Walton child development program has helped these individuals get off to a solid start:

Joseph Lofton, Jr.

Joseph went to Head Start in 1995, 1996 and 1997, when ask what he would like to be, his answer was he wanted to be a Power Ranger. Joseph went to Max Bruner Jr. Middle School. He played on the track and football teams. He held a school record in the high jump and the 100 yard meter events. He participated in the 2005 Junior Olympics in Norfolk, Virginia.

Joseph is currently a senior at Fort Walton Beach High School. He plays on the football team as a safety and corner back on the defense. Joseph has earned four awards during the four years in high school, which has earned him a full scholarship to Troy State University in Alabama. His official signing was Wednesday, February 3, 2010.

We are proud of Joseph as he started his education at Okaloosa County Head Start with teachers, Pamela Murphy and Jerri Claybrone. Head Start wishes him success. We will be watching for you on television.

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”